


Boomerang

by darkin520



Category: seaQuest
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-23 13:19:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6117642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkin520/pseuds/darkin520
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gift!fic written with a springtime theme for MadameGiry25.  Set in 2021; Kristin and Nathan have parted ways, but that doesn't mean the love doesn't still exist. When Kristin finds herself pregnant, help from an unexpected source helps her to see things from a new perspective and realize where she belongs. Second season AU. *COMPLETE*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MadameGiry25](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadameGiry25/gifts).



_Three months._ It had only been three months since she'd walked out of Nathan's door, but Kristin still missed him. At the time, it'd seemed like leaving him was the best idea she'd had in ages, especially since they'd begun a strange and rather volatile sort of dance. Either they'd end up screaming at one another at the top of their lungs or they'd end up in the bedroom. They'd never had problems in the bedroom department, but she knew that wasn't exactly a healthy relationship, only getting along in the bedroom.

Not only had their relationship problems caused them both stress, but it also had begun to affect Lucas as well. They'd all been living under the same roof while the new _seaQuest_ was being built. Nathan had bought a beautiful house for them on the water in New Cape Quest, just a short distance from the base. Kristin had been working in the UEO labs while the men would work at the base. She couldn't even remember where things had turned sour, since they'd all been happy at first.

She gave a shake of her head. It didn't really matter how it all began, did it? In her experience, happiness never lasted forever. She'd made her bed and now had to lie in it, so to speak. Besides, it hadn't been as though she never had a plan when she walked out the door. She was far too wise for that. Even before she'd begun packing, she'd called up her research university and explained the situation. Well, not in great detail. In fact, she'd told a bit of a white lie.

" _The UEO labs are so slow right now, and I'm bored to tears. Do you have anything available for me?" Kristin asked, giving her friend a hopeful smile._

She couldn't make money an excuse, since she'd never once been concerned with finances. She'd taken on research projects that had paid next to nothing. But her colleague, Dr. Maddie Luther, had seemed to believe her.

" _Even the UEO is having trouble?" the young woman asked with a raised brow. "At least we aren't the only ones."_

_Kristin's smile faded. "You don't have anything?"_

" _Well…there is one position available, but-"_

" _I'll take it!"_

_Maddie laughed. "But you don't even know what it is yet."_

" _I'm desperate. I honestly don't care what it is. I'll take anything."_

Shortly thereafter, Kristin had found out that 'anything' was a guest lecturer position. Not the most glamorous position, no; the only reason it had been open was because being a guest lecturer meant travelling a great deal, and not many were interested in doing so. But to Kristin, that had seemed ideal, since she'd wanted to be anywhere but New Cape Quest. It had also been an opportunity for her to share her knowledge with other doctors and scientists, a definite upside.

The first week had sent her to Seattle. After that, it had been New York and then Brooklyn. As the days turned into weeks, she hadn't even given a second thought when she'd missed a cycle or two. At her age, she'd just assumed it meant Mother Nature was letting her body know that her reproductive days were coming to a close, though her doctor's intuition also told her stress could have been throwing things off as well. Needless to say, she hadn't been particularly concerned, since she'd been more focused on throwing herself into the guest lecturer situation, if only to get Nathan and the fact that she'd thrown away her CMO position off her mind.

The moment nausea had set in, however, she'd started to pay more attention to her body. Naturally, at first, she'd assumed it was a virus or perhaps a small case of food poisoning. But when she'd noticed how the nausea came and went and had been triggered by various smells or even nothing at all, she had started to wonder if there had been something more going on. Her first thought had been pregnancy.

_She'd shaken her head, arguing with herself. "Don't be silly, Kristin. You've got a better chance of being struck by lightning."_

That's what she'd told herself in Sacramento, but when she was in Tallahassee shortly thereafter, she'd finally broken down and picked up a home pregnancy test. Naturally, she'd expected to get a negative result, since she'd only purchased it to ease her mind; she hadn't actually expected anything to come of it. When she'd seen the small purple plus sign peeking through the clear plastic window, however, her heart skipped a beat. Several beats, actually.

_It has to be a false positive,_ had been her first thought. Still, the very next day, she'd found herself at the walk-in clinic; part of her had still expected this to be some sort of hormonal imbalance. She'd been well aware of how often hormones caused such things. Immediately, though, a nurse had brought her back to give a urine sample. After that, she'd been brought to an examination room with grey carpeting and a painting of a mallard duck family swimming on a pond surrounded by reeds and cattails. She'd waited there for what seemed like decades, pacing back and forth and glaring at those happy ducks.

" _Well, it's official," the young, blonde, curly-haired nurse, Amanda, said after knocking and stepping inside. "You're pregnant."_

_Kristin's mouth fell open. "Are…are you sure?"_

_The nurse smiled sweetly and gave a nod. "Congratulations. Now, as I understand it, you're here travelling for work, so we strongly suggest you follow up with your regular doctor…unless you have any other concerns."_

_She'd shaken her head. No sense in seeing the doctor when he'd just tell her the same thing._

That had happened just one month ago. It had taken her a little while to clear her head and decide what to do next, but she had then decided the first thing she'd needed to do was contact the baby's father. Contacting him hadn't been at all difficult; she'd read about the launch in the papers, so that meant he was just a vid-phone call away. However, she'd always felt there were certain things one didn't just tell someone over the phone. Pregnancy fell into that category; this had been something she'd rather tell him in person. Getting together with him, however, hadn't gone over so well, though.

_Although he sounded surprised to hear her voice, Tim had put her right through to Nathan's quarters without question. Nathan's face appeared on the screen immediately after._

" _Keeping the beard, I see," she greeted softly._

_He nodded. "It certainly saves me time in the morning." He paused, eyeing her carefully. "This is quite unexpected."_

" _I…I know, but I did say we'd keep in touch."_

" _All couples say that after they part ways; it doesn't mean it actually happens," he pointed out._

" _I didn't stop caring because I left, you know." Her breath suddenly caught in her throat; perhaps calling hadn't been the best idea after all. She bit her lip. "Are…are you upset that I called?"_

" _No, no, of course not. I mean, I'm glad to hear from you. How…how've you been?"_

_She paused for a moment. She had told herself that if he'd asked her that, there was no way she was going to admit she was anything but fine. No matter what, she didn't want him knowing how she really felt. Not only that, she didn't want him swayed by the pregnancy. Just because she was pregnant didn't mean she expected him to marry her. Certainly she wanted him in the baby's life…that is, if he wanted to be. But she wanted it to be his objective decision, so to speak. And if he decided he still wanted her, then she'd tell him she never stopped loving him. Of course, they'd have to learn how to play nice with each other again, but they'd cross that bridge if they got there._

_She forced a smile. "Fine…just fine. And you?" She craned her neck to look past him. "The new ship looks wonderful, what I can see of it anyway."_

_He stepped away from the screen to allow her a better look. "I'm sorry I can't give you the full tour. It's not quite like the old one, but you know…it works. But I've been fine. A little busy, obviously, but fine."_

" _I'm glad to hear it. I, uh, suppose you're wondering why I'm calling…"_

" _A little, yes," he said, laughing softly._

_His laugh helped to put her at ease, whether he knew it or not. She took a breath before speaking. "As you know, I do a lot of travelling now."_

" _Oh, yes, the lecturer position. How is that going for you?"_

" _Fine…it's fine. I couldn't ask for anything more. I was just wondering if you've got a mission planned soon."_

_A brow rose in question._

" _I…I know you can't share details. I just meant if you happen to know where you're going to be, let me know, and I can meet you. I have something I need to speak to you about, but I…I'd really rather do it in person." She looked down at the floor, afraid of the look he was probably giving her._

_After several moments of silence, he finally replied, "We don't exactly plan missions beforehand. You know that."_

" _I…I know. I was just…being hopeful. You're not planning on taking shore leave anytime soon?" she asked, looking up at him again._

" _Not this soon into the tour, but what is so pressing you can't tell me now?" The concern in his voice was evident. "Are you all right?"_

_She held up her hands. "I promise I'm fine. I just…" She took a breath. "I'm… You see, I'm…" Suddenly, a thought occurred to her: Nathan never once mentioned if he was interested in having more children. After everything that had happened with Robert, she suddenly doubted it. She realized she just couldn't tell him…not yet. "I'm pretty sure we never discussed what to do with the furniture."_

" _Oh, is that all?" he asked in relief. "I don't really care. You can have it all if you want."_

_She bit her lip. That wasn't what he was supposed to say. "No, that wouldn't be very fair. Besides, I'm hardly ever home, as you can understand, so I have little use for it. If you don't want it, it should be sold and the money could be divided equally. But we can discuss it more when we see one another. Do…do you think it might be anytime soon? I realize it's not really an emergency, but I'd like to have this resolved sooner rather than later. That would be easier for both of us; wouldn't you agree?"_

_To her relief, he gave a nod, whether he actually agreed or not. "Of course, but I make no promises about when we could meet. You know how unpredictable the schedule can be here."_

" _I realize that, but as I said, I can easily meet you just about anywhere. I'm going to be near New Cape Quest the rest of this month and part of next month as well."_

" _I'll let you know," he assured her. "Your mobile number's still the same?"_

" _Oh, thank you. And, yes; you can call anytime."_

" _You're very welcome. It was wonderful to hear from you," he told her._

" _Likewise. We'll be in touch. Take care, Nathan."_

" _You too," he said before cutting the link._

Nathan had indeed kept true to his word and had called her whenever he'd known they'd be on a mission near the States. They'd never been able to match their schedules, unfortunately, so although she was three months along, Nathan still knew nothing about the baby. She knew she had to change that.

_-sQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQ-_

Dr. Elena Marquez sighed. "You do realize the health risks for a pregnant woman your age?"

Kristin had been getting the proper prenatal care, but her doctor wasn't happy about the fact she'd been doing so much travel for work.

"Surely, they can find something else for you that involves less travel, can't they? As you know, the miscarriage rate is much higher at your age. Not only that, I know you said you were working on talking to the father, but we can't hold off too much longer on the abnormal chromosome screening tests. You know how vital that is, since the risks for abnormal chromosomes numbers increase the older the mother is. You wanted him to be here for that?"

"I'm hoping he will be, yes…but you see, he travels for work himself, and-"

"Does he even know about any of this?"

Kristin shook her head quietly. "I wanted to tell him in person, but getting together with him has been…difficult."

Dr. Marquez frowned. "I'm not trying to be hard on you at all, but my job is to keep you and your baby healthy, and right now, I worry about the both of you. _Please_ talk to your employer _and_ talk to your child's father. Not only that, your blood pressure is a little high. You need to keep your stress levels down, or you'll end up on bed rest before you know it. You will work on these things?"

"I promise."

"Great. I'll see you back in two weeks, and I expect a few changes, if you know what I mean."

_-sQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQ-_

Kristin did indeed know all the risks for 'a pregnant woman her age', and of course she wanted a healthy baby; she also wanted her child's father involved as much as possible, but it was all easier said than done. She also knew why her blood pressure was elevated. With her worry over what Nathan would say about the baby, she'd developed panic attacks and nightmares. She knew most of it was due to her overactive imagination, worrying Nathan was going to write both her and the baby off forever, but a part of her told her it could very well happen, and that scared her to death.

Still, she owed it to her unborn child to follow the doctor's orders, so she gave Maddie a call and explained the situation.

Maddie's mouth fell open. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"

"I've only known for a short while myself," she explained, giving a small shrug.

"Well, be that as it may, of course we can't have you travelling everywhere, not at your age."

Kristin cringed inwardly. On one hand, she appreciated the fact that her friends knew the health risks for pregnant women older than age thirty-five, but on the other, she hated being reminded every five minutes that she was a forty-four-year-old pregnant woman.

"But the good news is you can continue lecturing locally, if you're interested."

"Oh, yes, please."

"There are a few drawbacks, though. You'll be giving some of the same lectures but to different groups. It can get a bit boring and tedious."

Kristin waved a hand. "Oh, I don't care about that. As long as I have something to keep my mind busy because soon, it will be diapers and bottles and all that." She paused. "But I would appreciate it if you kept this pregnancy thing between us for now. It's just…it obviously wasn't planned and-"

"You don't have to explain. I promise I won't say anything."

Feeling rather accomplished, she then tried to relax. She put on soft music and lit some lavender candles for deep breathing and meditation. She even repeated a mantra: _Nathan will be happy about the baby. The baby and I will be healthy. Everything will be fine_. After repeating it several times over, she was feeling much better until her ringing mobile broke her concentration. Her heart skipped a beat when she looked at the caller ID: _Nathan_.

She took a deep breath and answered, "Hello?"

"I was wondering if you'd have time to meet us tomorrow? We'll be right near Pearl for meetings."

"Oh…well, normally that would work, but I don't think I'll be able to…at least not anytime soon. You see, they've changed my schedule a bit, and now I'll strictly be in New Cape Quest, at least for the next several months. But the good news is that the next time you're back home, we can plan to meet somewhere."

"Oh, well, that's too bad, but I understand."

Kristin thought she heard a bit of disappointment in his voice, but she couldn't be sure.

"You're sure you don't want to just talk about this over the vid-link sometime? I'm free Wednesday; that's my day off."

She paused and glanced down at her tummy, which was just starting to get a little rounder. "I…I'll tell you what. If we can't see one another within the next few weeks, we'll do just that. I'd just really rather talk about it in person is all."

There was a long pause. "Kris, is there something you're not telling me?"

She shut her eyes tightly, mentally debating if she should just come clean. Before she could really decide, she heard herself answer, "Of course not."

"I was just checking. Well, I've got to run, but maybe we'll see one another soon."

"Maybe. Thanks for calling," she replied, her voice suddenly shaking.

"Anytime. We'll talk soon."

The moment she hung up the phone, she went into hysterics, and she wasn't even sure why. Why couldn't she bring herself to tell Nathan the truth and why in the world had she made up that ridiculous furniture lie? She didn't care about the furniture any more than he did. She was so worked up, she knew relaxation was out of the question now. Instead, she ended up in the bathroom, losing her dinner. She then lay in bed, hoping she'd be able to calm down enough to talk to Nathan, since she doubted they'd be able to see one another, at least not before she was as big as a house.

_-sQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQ-_

Somehow, she was able to pull herself together, at least enough to plan her lectures and make it through the next week. No, as Maddie had said, there wasn't a great deal of variety in the lecture process anymore. But Kristin had thought of ways to alleviate that and make small edits here and there based on her group. If she noticed the scientists she was lecturing looked a bit bored, she found ways to make her lectures interactive, making a mini-experiment. If her scientists seemed quiet and more thoughtful, she would ask several thought-provoking questions and leave time at the end of the lecture to discuss the answers with the group. Making such tweaks helped keep her mind off everything else for the time being.

Two weeks had passed since Nathan had invited her to Pearl; she hadn't spoken with him since. As she noticed her belly growing, she knew she was going to have to break down and tell him, but she was procrastinating. Not only that, instead of going home every night, she'd been staying at the New Cape Quest Hotel, since the lecture seminars were held there, and since her apartment was a thirty-minute drive away, it was much easier with the pregnancy.

She'd had an appointment with the seminar coordinator in the lobby to discuss the itinerary for that day, so she reluctantly pushed herself out of bed. One thing she noted with the pregnancy was that she was exhausted twenty-four/seven. At this point, it should have been lessening; at least it did when she was pregnant with Cynthia, but as she was constantly being reminded, she was much older now. She'd also started wearing baggier clothes. It wasn't that she was trying to hide her pregnancy, but she didn't want anyone treating her any differently because of it. And the New Cape Quest Hotel wasn't too far from the base; all she'd need is for someone to recognize her and blab it to Nathan before she got the chance to explain. She wanted to tell him herself, even though she'd been putting it off; she just didn't want anyone else ruining it for her.

As she made her way down to the lobby, however, her jaw nearly dropped to the floor when she saw Nathan and crew. She quickly turned around, hoping to retreat; she wanted to see him, but this wasn't on her terms. She wasn't prepared. _Oh, please, I hope he didn't see me,_ she thought.

"Kristin? Is that you?"

_Damn it._ She put on a smile and turned back, only to see him walking towards her. The rest of the crew cast a few glances her way but then walked towards the check-in desk. "Well, fancy seeing you here, sailor." She did her best to keep her voice steady and casual. "This is certainly unexpected."

"You can say that again," he agreed. "I was going to be giving you a call later, but I guess I don't have to. We're in town for repairs."

She clicked her tongue and gave a smile. "On a new boat. What a pity."

"Don't even get me started," he said with a shake of his head. "I'm not too thrilled, but it can't be helped." He paused as his brow furrowed. "Why are you here; is something wrong at your apartment?"

"No, not at all. This is just where I work, giving lectures at seminars several times daily. It's easier than going home every night. I do go home on the weekends." She glanced over Nathan's shoulder and noticed a woman with short dark hair and stunning crystal blue eyes staring at the two of them rather intently. She also couldn't help but notice the disapproving look she was giving. Kristin nodded her head towards her. "A friend of yours?" she asked Nathan.

He turned around and saw who Kristin meant. "Oh, that's Dr. Wendy Smith."

"Ah, my replacement," Kristin said. "I do recall the name now." Kristin had aided Secretary General Noyce in choosing her replacement, and Dr. Smith seemed the most qualified. "Though she doesn't look particularly pleased to see me."

Nathan waved a hand. "She's just concerned about me; we're very close. Excuse me for a moment."

Kristin watched as he walked towards Wendy and put his hands on her shoulders. Although she couldn't hear what they were saying, she watched Nathan's face intently. The expressions he was making, the way he put an arm around her shoulders…it was all too familiar. A flash of jealousy hit her as she suddenly realized Nathan had moved on.

A small voice in her head quickly shook her back to reality _. And why shouldn't he? He had every right._ _ **You**_ _left_ _ **him**_ _, remember?_

She gave a gentle nod, as if to confirm it to herself. She had no right to be jealous, but that didn't stop it from happening. Still, she had to force it down for the time being.

As Nathan returned, however, she couldn't help but question his actions. "Close, hm?"

"Yes, we're friends." He paused, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're not honestly asking me to justify it, are you?"

Kristin noticed that Wendy had backed away but was still lingering by the elevator, waiting for Nathan to return. "Of course not; I just couldn't help but notice how she's about five seconds away from having your name tattooed on her bottom. I think that says more than friends."

"At least she'd be willing."

It was like a slap and an all-too-familiar reminder of how dangerous they could be when they were together. Kristin shut her eyes tightly, waiting for the sting to subside and trying to hold back tears.

"Kris…" she heard him mutter. "I didn't mean…"

She held up a hand as she regained a small bit of control before opening her eyes once again. "It's fine, really." She'd lowered her voice to a whisper meant only for his ears. "And you're absolutely right. I was never keen on being branded as your property. I'm so thrilled you finally found yourself a willing victim. I hope you two are very happy together. Now, if you'll excuse me…" She heard him start to mutter something, but she didn't wait. She made a bee-line for the ladies' room; she only had ten minutes before her meeting.


	2. Chapter 2

Nathan stood there in shock for a minute or two, sheepishly running a hand through his hair. He wanted to kick himself for being a complete jerk. Sure, he and Kristin had their issues, but he genuinely wanted to see her. Even though he and Wendy… Well, they were indeed just friends, though he suspected that Wendy hoped they'd eventually be more than that. Nathan had to admit he cared for both women, but his feelings for Kristin were much deeper than what he felt for Wendy. Even so, Kristin had walked out _his_ door, so why would he need to justify anything to her? _Because it was plain to see she still had feelings for him, even though she said she didn't,_ his heart answered back.

Although she'd hid it well, he knew Kristin was near tears, and it was all because of him. He'd noticed the hurt in her eyes as soon as he'd made that idiot comment. He had to make things right. He decided to wait, hoping to see her return to the lobby so he could apologize, but he then felt a light tug on his arm. He turned to see Wendy.

"I thought we could walk to our rooms together," she said softly. She paused and lowered her gaze. "Things didn't go so well with Dr. Westphalen, huh?"

He sighed and shook his head. He knew she'd seen what happened anyway, but he held his tongue, knowing it'd gotten him in too much trouble already. "You go on ahead, all right? I wanted to try and apologize."

She nodded but didn't move.

"I promise I'll be up shortly. Second floor, right?"

She nodded and handed him his key before turning to leave. "Good luck, Captain."

"Thank you, Doctor," he called, moving to take a seat on one of the chairs and picking up a travel brochure from a nearby table. He didn't want to seem like a creepy stalker watching the ladies' room.

After a small eternity, he finally heard a squeaking door; looking up, he was relieved to see her and immediately went over to her. "Kris, please, let me explain. I didn't mean it quite like that." He could see her eyes were a little puffy and red, confirming his suspicions about her crying.

She shook her head. "There's no explanation needed. You…you didn't have to wait for me either. I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself."

"Yes, I know; I just…" He sighed. "At least let me make it up to you. Let me buy you a drink; we can talk about the furniture like you wanted."

She thought for a moment. "We do indeed need to talk, but I can't right now." She glanced at her watch. "I'm late for a meeting, but we'll get in touch later. My room number's 253."

She left before Nathan could tell her his number, but as he glanced at his key, he guessed they were right down the hall from one another, judging by the number sequence, his room being 273. Well, getting together to talk would be fairly easy now. He just hoped he could keep himself from saying anything more that he'd end up regretting before this impromptu shore leave was over.

_-sQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQ-_

After a boring and uneventful meeting coupled with an equally boring and uneventful breakfast, Kristin was eager to get back to her room. Seeing Nathan had thrown everything off, including her confidence and hormones. And what was worse, she was in the midst of yet another panic attack, feeling as though she couldn't breathe.

"Pull yourself together," she chided herself. "You don't have time for this nonsense." Indeed, she didn't, since she had a lecture to give right after lunch. However, the baby was suddenly voicing its annoyance by her panic attacks as well in the form of Braxton Hicks contractions. Although the false contractions weren't a worry in themselves, she knew that her stress and panic was affecting the baby, something that could have long-term effects if she couldn't get a handle on it.

She shut her eyes tightly and tried to calm her breathing. Perhaps lying down would help, she decided. And as long as she was in her own room, she took off her blazer, revealing her rounded belly. Kristin absentmindedly brought a hand to rub her abdomen. "Don't worry," she whispered. "Mummy's doing her best to take care of you and her. I promise I'll try to calm down."

_-sQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQ-_

Wendy knocked on Nathan's door and waited patiently for him to answer. He'd been rather aloof after his encounter with Dr. Westphalen, but she couldn't say she didn't understand why either. Her empathic senses knew full well what the problem was, but she did her best not to pry. She did, however, feel the need to attempt to make him feel better. He had said he wanted to rest, but she was hoping to coax him out of his room.

When he answered, however, he didn't look too pleased.

"I…I was thinking of going to the seminar this afternoon. Would you like to come?" she offered. "Perhaps it would give you and Kristin a chance to speak."

A brow rose as he allowed her to enter. "You actually _want_ me to speak to her?"

She laughed softly. "You sound surprised."

"Well, considering the look you were giving her earlier…" He sighed and sat down on the bed. "I know we haven't exactly spoken much about this…not in great detail yet, but…" He motioned between the two of them with his hand. "The situation with us..." He trailed off, unsure of how to word it.

She gave him a nod. "I think we already know what's between us, and that's Kristin."

His brow furrowed.

"I think we both know that there is no _us_ ," she replied. "I'm not going to lie; I care for you, and I know you care for me, but you seem to forget I can feel your feelings as well…the ones you don't voice out loud." She was sure to hold is gaze. "What I felt from you the minute you saw Kristin…well, I know you're never going to feel that for me."

There was a long moment of silence as Nathan took her hand in his. "I am truly sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

She waved a hand. "You can't break what was never started. It was merely an infatuation. Besides, I think my mother would have a few choice words for me if she found out we ever thought about dating."

Nathan laughed softly. "Your mother's bark was always worse than her bite."

"Well, be that as it may, it's been far too long since you've been on the receiving end of that bark," she replied with a smile. "I really am fine just being your friend."

"Me too," he confirmed.

"Good. Now, about the seminar…"

He shook his head. "I'm not sure I should overstep my boundaries. Kristin said we'd get together privately. If I show up at her lecture, it might just complicate things. And I'm not so sure she's forgiven me for being a complete jackass earlier."

"Maybe not," she agreed, "but you know you're going to have to face the music sometime." She paused. "Do you think I should speak with her?"

"What?"

"I mean, after the lecture."

"You're still going to the lecture?"

"Of course," she replied. "Contrary to what you might think, I am a fan of her work. Besides, she thinks I hate her, and I thought this might assure her I don't. I know it's a rather strange and uncomfortable situation we've suddenly been thrown into, but I want to do everything I can to ease that discomfort."

After thinking a moment, Nathan shook his head, however. "You don't know her like I do, though. I'm not sure she'd be too keen on taking any sort of advice from someone she doesn't know…especially a woman who may or may not be dating her former lover." And after the confused look Wendy gave him, he added, "That's what she thinks anyway."

"So I take it you're not going?"

"No, and I'm not sure you should either. We're here all week; there will be other lectures."

Only Wendy shook her head. "Hiding in your room isn't going to resolve anything. I'm still going, and I'll trust my instincts about speaking with her. I want to want to talk with her one on one before we leave anyway, if only just to set her straight on some things. I think I owe that to her, and when she sees that's all I'm trying to do, I think she'll put her guns away."

"Or only aim them at me," Nathan said flatly.

Wendy put her hand on his shoulder. "You need to show her that she had no reason to pull them out in the first place."

"Be that as it may, I pulled mine out too, so she only retaliated."

"Why don't you just wait and see what this evening brings? If I can speak with her and explain some things, I think you two will be able to speak without the weapons, if you catch my drift."

He held up a finger. "Just make sure you-"

"Don't worry; we'll be fine," she told him. "And if you change your mind, you know where to find me and her."

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The next thing she knew, Kristin was being rudely awakened by a knock on her door. It took her a few minutes to remember she'd been napping. She mumbled, "Just a minute," and pushed herself up to answer it. "Lucas?" she said, running a hand through her disheveled hair. "How…how did you know I was here?"

"The…the captain mentioned this was your room, and I thought I'd come by and say hello. We're all on the second floor too."

However, Kristin noticed how nervous he suddenly seemed. Her brow furrowed, wondering what could possibly be bothering him, but she also knew better than to question it. He'd let her know if he wanted to talk about it. She stepped aside to let him in. "Really? That's very coincidental."

"But not necessarily a bad thing," he replied.

"I am sorry we haven't gotten a chance to speak much since I left. I did explain why I had to go, though."

Lucas nodded. "No, I understand. I mean, it was hard at first. We missed you. I still miss you, but…we're okay. How've you been?"

"I'm glad to hear it," she replied, offering him a seat. "I've been fine. The new job's been going well. And how are things on the boat?"

"Good…they're good. Same old, really. I don't work that much in the labs anymore."

Kristin couldn't help but notice how he looked anywhere but at her when he spoke, however, piquing her curiosity even more. "Oh, yes; I heard that you're now Chief Computer Analyst. Congratulations."

He flashed her a proud grin and then looked down at the floor. "Yeah, it's pretty cool." He then cleared his throat. "Can…can I ask you something, Doc?"

"Of course, Lucas; what's the matter?"

He rubbed the palms of his hands on his knees and kept glancing towards her: specifically her abdomen. Kristin suddenly realized she hadn't put her jacket over her blouse and he could easily see her rounded belly and put two and two together.

"Oh…oh, dear," she muttered. "I didn't realize…" She moved to grab her blazer to cover up.

"Is it…? Did you and the captain…? Or did you and someone else…?" he stammered.

"The captain," she replied quietly. "And he doesn't know yet. Hardly anyone knows," she said, wringing her hands together.

After a long pause, Lucas said, "That's not why you left, is it?"

"No; not at all. I didn't even… I didn't even know I was pregnant until a short while ago. I just wanted to speak to the captain in person, but we've been having trouble getting together. If not for this situation, I'd still be worrying about how I was going to tell him." She turned to look at him. "Please, don't tell anyone about this?"

"I promise, but you have to talk to the captain…soon."

"I know, I know," she replied. "I've just been so worried about-" Suddenly, her alarm went off on her mobile phone, cutting off her words. She moved to shut it off. "Oh, no. I…I'm so sorry, Lucas, but I have to run. I have ten minutes to get downstairs, and I probably look a mess." She walked towards the bathroom.

"You look fine, Doc…really," he replied. "But I understand. Um, we'll talk later maybe?"

"You will do what I asked?" she called after him.

"Sure thing, Doc. You can trust me."

She then heard the door shut behind him.

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Kristin hated being late. No, there probably weren't going to be any reprimands for her lack of punctuality, but she didn't like to keep people waiting, especially people who were depending on her. Still, she'd only be about five minutes late, so perhaps it wasn't the end of the world. It was just very annoying.

As she dashed down the corridor to the elevator, she was somewhat surprised to see Dr. Smith waiting for the same elevator. Kristin swallowed her pride and gave her a cordial, "Hello," as they both stepped inside.

"Hello," the younger woman replied. As the doors closed and the elevator started to move, she continued, "I wanted to thank you."

A brow rose. "Thank me? Whatever for?"

"Secretary General Noyce told me that you had input on your replacement, and if not for you, I probably wouldn't have a job on the _seaQuest_ right now."

"Oh, I see; well, you're very welcome, but I didn't really do anything. You were the most qualified for the position, and your credentials reflected that. You only have yourself to thank." Kristin then decided to change the subject, since speaking about the _seaQuest_ was not at the top of her list at the moment, especially not with Nathan's new girlfriend in her midst. She let out a frustrated groan. "I didn't realize the elevator was going to have to go up to the eighteenth floor. I'm late for a lecture right now, and this is only making me even later."

"I know," Wendy replied.

A brow rose.

"I mean, I was going to attend the lecture as well. I…I'm a huge fan of your work, and I'd like you to know it's an honor to be able to hear you speak."

Kristin blushed. "I…I had no idea. When we met downstairs, you didn't seem too-" Suddenly, the elevator lurched and shook before coming to a halt and going dark. "Are…are you all right?" she asked, feeling around for her mobile, which had a flashlight function. She then searched for the door panel to bring up the emergency lights and hit the alarm.

"I'm fine," Wendy replied. "Unfortunately, I think you're going to be more than five minutes late for that lecture."

Kristin sighed. "Indeed. Hopefully, we won't be in here too long."

"You're not claustrophobic, are you?"

"No, thank goodness. Are you?"

Wendy shook her head and then replied, "Usually if it's something that takes a long time, they'll explain on the intercom. Since they haven't done so, I think-"

Just then, a man's voice came through the intercom. _"Are you all right?"_

"Yes, we're fine, but the elevator just stalled on the twelfth floor," Kristin said.

" _Yes, ma'am, we are well aware of this, but it's going to be a little while before we can get you out. You're actually stuck between the twelfth and the thirteenth floor, and we're waiting on a technician to come fix it."_

"Exactly how long is a little while?" Wendy asked.

" _It could be a couple of hours, but I promise we're working as fast as we can. If you need anything, just push the intercom button and talk. We'll be here to answer."_

"Thank you," both women muttered.

Kristin let out a sigh and took a seat on the floor.

Wendy followed suit and decided to break the silence. "About before…I am sorry if you thought I was being rude."

"Oh, don't worry about it. If I was in your position, I might have done the same thing. I realize what you might think, but please know that Nathan and I are nothing more than friends now."

"Kristin… Um, may I call you Kristin?"

She nodded.

"Thank you, and you can feel free to call me Wendy. But I think you might be a bit confused. You see, Nathan and I…"

Kristin put her hand over Wendy's. "You don't need to explain at all. In fact, I'm glad he's found someone else. When he and I parted ways, I was worried he'd be alone and broken; I'm actually glad it isn't that way at all."

"But Nathan and I are just friends," Wendy said, gently moving her hand away.

"We said the same thing for a long time; we were worried it might be seen as fraternization, but since you're technically a civilian, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I'm surprised Nathan hasn't told you that."

"No, you don't understand," the younger woman replied. "There's nothing between Nathan and me. We thought there might be, yes, but I realize now it was just an infatuation."

Kristin's jaw dropped open slightly. "Does Nathan know?"

Wendy gave a soft laugh and nodded. "You see, he and my mother used to date…and I think I was enamored by the idea of him more than anything else."

Kristin suddenly became nervous, however, feeling her breath begin to come in short spurts. "I…I hope that wasn't because of me, dear. I…I certainly didn't plan this, and I had no idea you were going to be here. Yes, I'd been speaking with Nathan, but it was only because we have a few unresolved details to work out about the furniture. I wasn't trying to…" She swallowed hard in an effort to calm herself, only it didn't help. She shut her eyes tightly, trying hard to slow her breathing, but it didn't seem to help. "Wendy, I…I'm not feeling very well. I-"

Darkness closed in around her before she could finish her sentence, however.

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The next thing she knew, she heard Wendy's voice calling her name.

"…Kristin?"

Her eyes suddenly snapped open, seeing Wendy's concerned face above her. It took her a few moments to realize she was lying on her back. She brought a hand to her head. "I…I'm sorry; I must have-"

"You fainted," Wendy told her. "Are you feeling better now? You said you were feeling sick."

Kristin felt her face grow warm as she gave a nod and tried to sit up.

"Easy," Wendy urged, moving to help her. "You don't want to sit up too quickly."

"Thank you," she said quietly before leaning back against the wall. "I've just been a… I've been a bit nervous about some things in my life, and that has resulted in occasional panic attacks and nausea. It's…it's nothing to be alarmed about. I'm sure once I-" She suddenly noticed her blazer lying on the floor in front of her.

Wendy followed her gaze. "You were sweating," she explained. "I…I wasn't trying to…" She moved to sit next to her, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. "How far along are you?"

"Four months, give or take a bit." She suddenly felt her voice begin to tremble. "I…I've just been so afraid to tell him. I didn't even think I would be able to… We never worried about contraception. And now I don't even know how to tell him or if he even wants a child in his life after Robert. I…I don't…" Her breath started coming in uneven pants once again.

Wendy suddenly took her by complete surprise by wrapping her arms around her. "Shh," she soothed. "This isn't good for you or the baby. You need to try to calm down."

Kristin nodded against her shoulder. "I…I know, and I know part of it is me probably being more worried than I need to be, but I can't help it." She gently pulled away and wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks. "The sad fact of the matter is that I'm a forty-four-year-old pregnant woman. I am not afraid of raising a child on my own; I practically raised my daughter on my own, so I could easily do it again. But I am afraid. I'm afraid of the possibility of the child being unwell…and I am terrified of what I'm going to say when he or she is old enough to ask about their father. If…if Nathan doesn't want to be in this child's life, how will I answer that?" She felt her eyes well up with tears once again. "I just couldn't bear it if he were to deny his child."

Wendy was quiet for several minutes while she did her best to try and keep Kristin calm. "You're not being very fair," she finally said.

"I…I know; I'm basing my fears on speculation but-"

"That's not quite what I mean," Wendy interrupted.

Kristin's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I understand being afraid. I…I've never been pregnant, but being a doctor, I am well aware of the worries that come with it. I think every parent is a little afraid whether it's their first child or their fourth, you know?"

Kristin nodded quietly. "I suppose."

"Being afraid isn't necessarily a bad thing. It just shows how much you love your child already," she pointed out.

"But I want Nathan to love him or her too."

"He _will_ ," Wendy assured her.

"But I don't-"

"I wasn't quite finished," Wendy replied. "Please, just hear me out."

"All…all right," Kristin replied.

"As I said, you're not being very fair…not just to Nathan, but to _yourself_. I know I don't know you personally, but I know enough people that have told me about you. Nathan talks about you quite a bit actually."

"He…he does?"

"Of course. When we're off-duty, sometimes, he'll bring you up out of the blue. And everyone, including him, mentioned how strong you are."

"I'm not as strong as they think," she scoffed. "If they saw me weeping on the floor of an elevator, I doubt they'd say I'm strong."

Wendy shook her head, however. "You're wrong. Do you know what Nathan told me once?"

"No, but I suppose you're going to tell me."

She nodded. "We were working on the quarterly medical reports; I assume you're familiar with those?"

"Unfortunately, yes," she replied flatly. "I hated those with a passion."

"You and me, both," the younger woman confirmed. "Well, we were taking a well-needed break, and I had asked him how you ever got through it. He shook his head and said he wasn't sure, but that you were always a boomerang."

Kristin raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I understand the reference."

"However life throws you, you come flying back stronger than ever. At the time, it was only hearsay, but after meeting you in person, I can definitely see it."

"I highly doubt that." She gave a shake of her head. "In the short time we've been talking, all you've seen me do is lament about my problems. That's not taking how life throws me very well at all."

Wendy put an arm around her shoulders. "Do you recall everything from my resume?"

"That was some time ago," Kristin replied, her eyebrows knitting together. "And not every detail, no. Why do you ask?"

"I don't expect _you_ to remember every detail. What I meant was if you recall my _special_ abilities?"

"Oh…I do recall something…I think. You're an empath, aren't you?"

"Not just an empath, but a telepath as well." She held up a hand. "Don't worry, though. I'd never invade your privacy. However, I can't exactly control what people throw out for me to hear; they just don't realize they're giving it to me."

"I hadn't considered that. I suppose it gets rather noisy."

Wendy smiled softly. "I'm used to it by now. But getting back to my point, you've given me several thoughts and feelings, so I've already felt your strength. You can't deny it doesn't exist."

Kristin shrugged. "Perhaps not, but I certainly don't feel very strong right now. If I can't even muster up the strength to tell Nathan the truth…"

"Yes, you _can_. You admitted that you're just afraid of what might or might not happen. You just have to face your fear."

"But what if my fear becomes reality?"

"Then you'll deal with it," Wendy replied. "You're a boomerang, remember? Besides, I know you're wrong about the captain. He won't turn his back on you."

Kristin met her gaze. "You've felt things from him too?"

She nodded. "I just didn't know what exactly I was feeling until we met in the lobby. Now I understand."

After a long pause, Kristin said, "I have to admit, I never expected this, getting advice from the woman I thought for sure was my sworn enemy."

Wendy laughed. "I think everyone thought we would be. Nathan didn't think I should speak with you; he thought it wouldn't go well."

"I think it's about time we prove him wrong."

"Indeed," she agreed. "Unfortunately, it's going to be a little while before he'll get to witness it."

Kristin placed her hand over Wendy's. "I really don't know how to thank you, though."

"I didn't really do anything, except help you to see what you've had all along."

"Well, I do appreciate it." She bit her lip. "Do you think we'll be in here much longer?"

"I don't know," Wendy replied, eyeing Kristin carefully. "You're still not feeling very well, are you?"

She gave a shrug. "I'm not sure if it's just the effects of my worrying or something more. But, no, I'm not feeling particularly well."

Wendy suddenly went into doctor mode. "You should be lying down then," she said, helping her lie back. "Are you in any pain?"

"Not…not exactly. Braxton Hicks, yes, but nothing more. But I feel…I feel like I might faint again."

"When's the last time you ate or drank anything?"

"I…I ate breakfast, but nothing since then."

Wendy glanced at her watch. "It's going on well after two now; that might be the problem, but you're taking prenatal supplements, yes?"

Kristin gave a slight nod, closing her eyes. "And I haven't missed any," she mumbled.

"Good, that's good, but you…you need to stay with me. What about anemia? Have you been tested for the pregnancy-related anemia?"

"Y-yes…but that doesn't mean…"

Wendy nodded. "I know that doesn't mean it can't show up at any time. Which makes me wonder…are you sure that your panic attacks were just that?"

"I don't understand…"

"The shortness of breath, the tiredness, the fainting...while they can be classic signs of what can happen as a result of a panic attack...you could be anemic. When was the last time you were tested?"

"Oh, about a month ago. The panic attacks started shortly after that."

"I think we have our answer as to what's going on with you now," Wendy replied. "I'm just going to hit the intercom button and find out how long it will be until they get us out of here, all right? I'll be right back."

"All…all right…" she muttered, closing her eyes as the world around her faded into darkness.

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When she opened her eyes next, Kristin noticed that she was no longer in the elevator. And the gentle beeping sound told her she was in a hospital somewhere. She tried to glance at her surroundings, but the moment she lifted her head, she winced in pain.

"Easy," she heard a familiar voice say. "You really shouldn't sit up yet."

"Na- Nathan? What are you…? Where…where's Wendy?"

"She went back to the hotel for some rest. You two were in that elevator for over three hours," he replied, moving to pull a chair towards the bed so he could sit.

"We were?" She brought a hand to her head. "I don't… The last thing I remember was talking to Wendy. I wasn't feeling very well, and-"

"Shh," Nathan said, gently stroking her hair. "You don't need to explain. I already know."

Her breath caught in her throat. "You…you do?"

He nodded. "Yes, and we're going to be having a long talk a little later…when you're feeling up to it. First, though, I need to let the doctor know you're awake." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll be right back."

Several minutes later, Nathan returned with Dr. Marquez in tow.

"Kristin, glad to see you're awake," Dr. Marquez said. "Though I didn't expect for you to end up here."

"I…I know, and I'm sorry. I…I was trying to do what you said, but-"

The doctor held up a hand. "I'm not going to yell at you, dear. What I meant was it was my fault. The moment you told me about your panic attacks, I should have realized what the underlying cause could be. Since you had told me about the stress you'd been experiencing, I never thought more of it. That was my mistake."

Kristin swallowed hard. "Is the baby going to be all right?"

"Oh, yes," the doctor assured her. "The baby is just fine, and you will be too. You're just experiencing pregnancy-induced anemia, which you probably guessed. I've prescribed a stronger prenatal vitamin with extra iron that will alleviate the problem. You were also a little dehydrated, but that's most likely the result of being stuck in an elevator for several hours, so we have you on an IV drip. But I want to remind you to be sure you're eating and drinking properly. But after your IV finishes, you should be able to go home, though I recommend taking the rest of the week off work until your body adjusts to the new vitamin."

"I'll make sure of that, Doctor," Nathan answered for her.

Dr. Marquez smiled and patted Kristin's hand. "As long as you don't have any questions, I think I'll leave you two to talk."

"Thank you, Doctor. We'll be in touch."

"Definitely. You two take care now," she said before leaving.

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Once they were alone, there was an awkward silence that hung in the air. Since she felt more coherent, Kristin decided to break it. "How long have you been here?"

"I was waiting right outside the elevator as soon as I heard. I…I was worried about you and Wendy."

"You thought we'd kill each other?"

He smiled. "At first, yes, but when I saw Dr. Smith helping the technician carry you out…" His voice trembled slightly. "I think my heart stopped for a moment." He shook his head. "And when I found out about the baby…" He took her hand. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's not that I didn't want to." She brought her other hand to her belly. "I tried. I just wanted to tell you in person. You know, the _furniture_."

"I knew you didn't care about the furniture," he said with a laugh. "But I do wish you would have just told me right away, even if it was over the vid-phone. I would have gotten away. You had said it wasn't an emergency…"

"We've still got a little while before he or she makes an entrance; I wouldn't call that an emergency."

"You know what I mean." He sighed. "But I am glad I know now." He moved his hand just above her belly and looked at her. "Is…is it all right if I…?"

"Of course," she replied. "It is your child, and I…I want you to be involved as much as possible."

"I'm glad to hear you say that because I really don't want to miss a thing with the baby…or with his or her mother."

A brow rose. "What are you saying?"

"I mean, if you want me. I know why you left, but now with the baby… I don't want to be living separately from my child, and I still love you. And you said you still cared."

"I…I do care for you. I still love you," she confirmed. "But I also have to wonder if you're out of your mind."

"Wh-what?"

"We can't be alone for five minutes without arguing, it seems. You do remember what it was like, don't you?" She shook her head. "I don't want our child raised in an unstable environment."

He sighed. "I do remember what it was like, but do you also remember _when_ it all started?"

"I don't think it matters when."

"I meant what was going on in our lives. You were working double shifts at the hospital, and the rebuild was running into snags." He shook his head. "We took it out on each other."

"Then why didn't we stop after things became more normal at work?" she countered.

"Old habits die hard?" he offered lamely.

She gave a snort. "You're not helping."

Nathan gave a sigh. "Okay, you do have a point. We did do a lot of things that I don't think we're particularly proud of, but that doesn't mean we can't try again. And now that we're aware of the problem, all it takes is a little effort on both our parts."

"So what exactly are you saying? That we should get married?"

"Sure, why not?"

"You're such a romantic," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Besides, the last thing I want is you feeling obligated to put a ring on my finger just because-"

"I don't," he insisted. "And if you want romance, I'm more than happy to oblige. I didn't say when. I would like to put more than five minutes' thought into it." He paused. "When is the baby due?"

"Late spring. Why?"

"Well, because I doubt you'll want to be walking down the aisle when you're nine months pregnant…or would you?"

"Not really…but I suppose being married before the little one arrives would be ideal." She put a hand on his arm. "But if we get to the point where we start fighting again…"

"We'll talk about it. Worst-case scenario, we'll get counseling, but I've a feeling we won't fall into that trap again. So what do you say about an early spring wedding, a late spring birth?"

She laughed softly. "I think we could make that work."

He moved to kiss her softly. "But don't think I won't be asking you properly very soon. It will be the most romantic night of your life, I assure you."

"That sounds like a plan."

"There is just one more detail to work out."

"The _seaQuest_?" she guessed. "I'd never ask you to leave it. I know it's where you want to be."

"I appreciate that, but I didn't quite mean it that way. I don't want to leave it either, but I won't have my wife and child living separately either."

She gave him a look. "But what about-"

He shook his head. "I spent half of Robert's life out at sea, and I missed out on too much. I won't have that again. We can discuss the details more, but if you're going to be my wife, you go where I go. What do you say?"

"I say spring should be a very interesting season this coming year," she replied after a moment.

He kissed her again. "Indeed, Mrs. Bridger; indeed."


End file.
